


Drunken Disorderlies

by Adeline_Hatter



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Drinking, F/M, First Meetings, Gen, Knowing Me Knowing You series, Mental Health Issues, Neighbours AU Prologue, Prison, Prologue, Trauma, hidden identity, references to drowning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:26:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25676557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adeline_Hatter/pseuds/Adeline_Hatter
Summary: It's strange to make a friend in a Prison Cell... Or so the story goes.
Relationships: Nott | Veth Brenatto & Caleb Widogast, Yeza Brenatto/Nott | Veth Brenatto
Comments: 6
Kudos: 43





	Drunken Disorderlies

When the holding cell next to his is opened and a woman is placed inside without much complaint, he can’t think much of it.

She potters about, then sits still and leans against the wall, when she lands on the floor is when he looks at her properly.

Curvy, messy hair, clothes a bit ruffled, Bren would guess her to be someone who got in a fight.

  
The small pieces of blood on her shirt and her knuckles confirms his assumption and he goes to turn away again when she catches his eyes, her eyes seem to take the light in and it makes them look bigger despite the fluorescent nature of them.

Her pupils are dilated; he realises suddenly and she blinks, “Hello.” She greets,"What's your name?" She proceeds to ask, leaning back firmly this time, against the wall, Bren notes how she seems to almost study him from across the room, "I'm Nott." 

He thinks about it for a long moment, blinking, what should he say? The truth or should he press his lips together and lie to this woman he's meeting in a prison holding cell for the first time, "I'm... Caleb." 

"Cay-leb." Nott sounds out, then she laughs, "I've always liked the name Caleb." 

"Have you?" 

"No, but it's a nice thing to say to someone." Her head tilts and her hair shifts a bit, coming loose from the braid down the back and he can see the bruise forming along the cool sepia of her skin, “...I think.” 

Her eyebrows furrow, then she winces, “Did you get punched?” He finds himself asking, though has no idea where it comes from.

“Once.” Her voice is softer this time, but she sits up again and meets his eyes properly, eyebrows relaxing and she grins, “I got the other guy a lot worse, somehow I was the one arrested though.” 

  
  


Caleb sits up, slowly and she watches him do so, eyes scanning him with curiosity, “You are strange.” He states it and his accent comes out stronger.

“Have you looked in a mirror?” She returns, a sharper edge to her grin and he finds it, for a moment hard to breathe.

Then Caleb laughs, he can’t remember the last time he’d laughed, but the sound surprises both him and her.

Her surprise comes in a soft, jittering jolt as her head snaps up, her eyes scan him again, a bit wider this time before she laughs softly as well.

They both lapse into silence, but it is far from uncomfortable, her hair is a mess and her hands slowly come up to smooth it down, “So, what are you in for?” She asks, “No offense but you don’t exactly look like a criminal.”    
  
“I’m not.” 

“No.” She begins, staring at him with bafflement, “I’m  _ Nott.”  _

To his surprise he laughs again, “Yes, I suppose you are… I’m in here because I got pulled over and forgot my license at home.” Bren states it and she nods, complete understanding in her expression, “So, you got in a fight?”   
  
“Also I’m drunk and disorderly.” 

“O..Oh.” She falls silent, time passes in this silence and he has no idea how much.

Comfortable, even in a cell late at night, there’s a strange kind of comfort in this woman’s presence that he hasn’t felt since… Well, he can’t say he’s ever felt it.

He finds himself opening his mouth to speak again when the door to his cell opens and an officer stands there, “You made bail, come on.” 

“Ah… Um-” 

“Come on!” It’s forceful and Caleb turns to Nott who’s staring at the wall looking sleepy, despite his desire to stay, he follows the officer. 

Yussa stares at him as he comes through the door, judgement alight on his features as Caleb makes a walk of shame, “Was there really no one else you could have called?” 

“No…?” He smiles sheepishly having forgotten he’d even made said call, and Yussa sighs, turning to the officer behind the desk, Caleb watches them speak quietly before he is shoved towards the man, “Thank you for coming.” 

Lips set in a flat line, Yussa turns towards the door, “We have a meeting with the publishers in the morning, I couldn’t exactly let the man I’m selling to them rot in here, Cobalt Books are very selective.” 

He starts to follow the other man before he pauses, “Yussa, can I ask a favour?” 

“You are going to anyway, so go on?”

Caleb takes a deep breath, opens his mouth and asks. 

* * *

  
  


She was bailed out by someone, she hadn’t known who he was but he’d sighed as she appeared and then nodded at her, asking if she had anyone she could call. 

Veth wonders briefly, as Yeza pulls up to the curb, if that man- Caleb -had had something to do with it. 

She climbs in the car, Yeza looks tired, she feels tired and drunk and all she really wants to do is see Luc asleep and well, “Are you okay?” She jumps when her husband speaks and she turns to him, they’re waiting for the light to change and the red light is shining in his glasses, “Veth, are you actually okay?”

It is not the first time he’s asked this question, it never is, hasn’t been since that scare in the river-  _ No, not thinking about that.  _

“I’m fine.” She states it and knows it’s not convincing, especially not to Yeza, never to Yeza who’s known her too long, since she was too young, “I’m fine.” 

The light turns yellow, “You got drunk and in a fight, Veth.” His voice is soft, his tone is soft… Everything about Yeza is soft and supportive and- “Veth, be honest, do you need help?”

“I don’t know…” Veth begins, her eyes dropping shut, sleep crinkling at the edges of her eyes, “I just want to see my son.” 

Yeza starts to drive and when she opens her eyes, his are focused on the road, “Okay.” He whispers softly, “Tell me if you do, need help, I’ll help… If I can.” 

“I want to see my boy.” She repeats, more firmly, her four year old at the forefront of her mind and nothing much else, “Who’s with him now?”

His fingers tap as he signals that he’s turning into the Felderwin suburb of the city, “Edith was still awake luckily, we’re almost home now, okay honey?”

“Okay....” She hums, welcoming the smooth glide of the car around her, “He’s safe isn’t he? Luc is safe?” 

_ Cold water-  _

“He’s safe Veth, he’s safe.” 

“I saved him didn’t I?”  _ Lungs-  _ “I did save him.” She repeats firmly. 

_ Rushing water, cold lungs, burning-  _

Yeza pulls into their house, she starts and straightens herself up, “Do I smell like alcohol?”

“A little, reminds me of our teens.” He turns the engine off, nostalgia rests on his voice, “Though, I never did know why I went along with stealing all that whiskey.” 

She shrugs as she opens her door, standing up, her face arches a bit as she turns to him and smiles, “We’re were eighteen, completely stupid and very… Happy.” 

“I thought we were just pissing off my parents?” 

“That too.” Veth grins widely as he locks the car. 

Yeza seems to study her now, as he walks around the car and stands in front of her, taking advantage of the inch or so he has on her in height, “Veth, if you need help, just say so okay?”

“I’m fine, I don’t need help.” She snaps this, grin disappearing and immediately she feels a little guilty, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” 

His hands smooth over her shoulders, Yeza doesn’t pull her in but he does look in her eyes properly now, “I know.” He presses a kiss to her forehead, before pulling away again and turning around, “I know.” This one is softer. 

This one makes her feel worse. 

But she shakes it off, she has to shake it off and she marches towards the house as he unlocks the door, she says hello to Edith and takes the stairs two at a time as quietly as she can. 

Luc is asleep, curled up under the blanket arms wrapped around a stuffed animal and she can hear him breathing, her baby, her boy… Safe. 

She’d saved him and she’d made it to him. 

_ Why did it feel like she was still drowning?  _

Yeza wraps an arm around her waist, “He’s okay.” He whispers in her ear, “Come have a shower, come to bed, he’ll be okay in the morning too.” 

“I know.” She whispers, but she doesn’t take her eyes off of Luc for a single moment, “I know.” 

He sighs, brows furrowing, “Any idea who bailed you out by the way?”

“He said his name was Yussa and that he was doing his new client a favour.” 

She turns her eyes away from Luc to see Yeza blinking, for a moment she thinks of a pair of blue eyes in a cell, “A favour? Who would ask to bail someone out of all things?”

“I think… I’m not gonna question it.” 

Luc was safe after all, she was safe too, there was nothing to question. 

“Let’s go to bed, things’ll be better tomorrow.” She finds herself saying, but even to her it sounds half hearted, but Yeza lets her pass, he lets her go and only just stares after her. 

Veth sighs, shutting the bathroom door and turning to the mirror, inspecting her face and grimacing, “You just had to punch her didn’t you?” She grumbles to herself and no one else, turning away from the mirror and wondering what it would take to feel like herself again. 

But she was different now wasn’t she? That was new, she was… new and strange. 

And she was not okay. 

Not that she was going to tell anyone but her reflection that of course, no matter who she met or who she spoke to, she would be  _ Veth-  _

_ “I’m Nott.” _

Why had she said that? Why had she lied? Why had he for that matter, he was definitely lying no poor soul was born with the name Caleb after all. 

_ Caleb.  _

Funny name, she wonders as she turns the shower on, if she’ll hear it again. 

  
  



End file.
